Splicer for rubber thread



J; F. CAVANAGH SPLICER FOR RUBBER lTHREAD April 14, 1942.

Filed Nov. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l wiklz/-II K A INVEINTOR. Jf/i @fava/Mgg? wmf/@024W ATTORNEYS.

illilt Ap'ril 14, 1942.`

J.F.CAVANAGH sPLIcER FOR RUBBER THREAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1940 Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,279,299' SPLICER BOB RJBBER IHREAD John F. Cavanagh, Providence, E. I.

Application November, 1940, Serial' No. 364,405

11 claims." (ci. zs--v This invention relates to the splicing, as opposed to knotting, of single strands of rubber known to the trade as' rubber thread.. The knotting of rubber thread is highly objectionable inasmuch as the knot acts as a slub in passing through guides` and needle hooks andl furthermore, in most instances, shows up as an imperfection in finished fabrics.

One of the objects of this invention is to effect a union of rubber strand ends which will be sufliciently strong so that these ends will not pul apart as elongation of the yarn occurs.

Another object of the invention is to join the 4ends without producing an obstruction to the functioning of the rubber yarn in fabrication Amechanisms in which the yarn may be used.

particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side eleation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a front ele ation;

Fig. 3 is a section of the slide holder and slide thereon taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2";

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view In the accompanikig drawings:

showing the slide carrier and the slide with the 'operating jaws and the cam for operating the jaws;

, Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the locking pawl in engagement with the iilm feeder;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the feeding pawl in engagement with the' film feeder;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view illustrating the loading of the yarn into the device;

Fig. -8 is an elongated plan view of the relationship of the severed yarn ends in engagement with the film which is to be wrapped about the same just prior to wrapping; 1

Fig. 9 is a central sectional view illustrating the wrapping of a iilm about the yarn by rolling the same;

Fig. 10 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating .on a larger scale the wrapping of the nlm about the yarn;

Fig. ii illustrates the splicing of together:

Fis. l2 is a sectional view through the casing, illustrating the guides for the apron.

the yarn ends v I know of-no good practical way to join severed rubber thread or strand ends together without.

'knotting them, thus producing by such knotting an enlargement at the point of union which will 5 prevent the thread from passing freely through guides, needle eyes orA hooks which it is used for the formation of fabric. In order that the ends of such rubber or elastic yarn may be joined together. I have provided anl arrangement for splicing the ends without knotting and by rolling a thin adhesive film about the ends in such a manner that the ends are reduced and rin the finished product `no detrimental enlargement of the joinedy ends occurs, thus permitting the thread to be used in the usual manner fof fabrication andproviding a junction which is indistinguishable in the linished fabric; and the following is -a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, I0 designates a casing or body portion' which is shown of a 23 suillcient size to be convenient to handle and some suitable material such las either metal or a plastic. This casing may conveniently be formed in halves, as shown in Fig. 12. The chief function of this body islto provide a convenient supi3 of the casing by a wall'll'which extends about I guide tiie lin feeder or apron about'the curvature of the track as it'moves therealong. These guides are open or stop short as at Il at the top of the device which enables the film feederto be removed from and replaced in the device. Bolts 2l secure the casing halves together. A cover il for the casing is hinged on the upper bolt 28 and` snaps into engagement with the which consists of a shell-like structure formed of l curved edge 22 of the casing by reason of a resilient lip 2l. The side walls of the casing project forwardly as at 23 and provide a pivotal mounting as by pin 24 for the slide holder designated This slide holder consists of a plate 26 having flanges 21 through which the-pivot pin 24 extends andalso provides in an enlarged portion thereof a mounting for the pin ,28 upon which the locking pawl 29, to enter an opening Ii, is pivotally mounted andswung in one direction by arm 30 of the spring 3l; while the' other arm 52 of the spring engages the flange 21. The pawl 29 is limited in its forward movement by engagement with the slide holder plate which extends beneath it as shown ati! in Fig. 5. The flange also supports the pin 3 3 which pivotally mounts the feed pawl 34 to enter an opening I6 on the other margin of the film feeder which has one arm 35 of the spring 38 forcing that pawl about its pivotal mounting; while the other .arm 31 of the spring engages the slide holder. A stop pin 38 limits the forward movement of the pawl 34. An eye 40 serves as connection for sp1-ing 4I which is anchored as at 42 in the casing to swing the slide holder about its pivot 24 to the position shown in Fig, l. The slide holder also has in it slots 43.

The slide. is designated generally -45 and consistsof a plate 45 which has, shouldered bolts 41 fastenedinto the plate'with portions 48 slidable in and guided by the slots 43 andjheaded to extend over the`slide holder so as to form an effective guide for vertical movement of the plateA with reference to the slide holder.- This plate is cut away atits upper end to provide an anvil 50 55 -of-a stub shaft 56 formed between shoulder 90 which receives. the jaws.

The shaft is received in a recess 9| in the plate and the shaft handle 51 is secured by means of set screw 58. A stop pin 59 is located between the jaws below the cam so as to limit the opening movement of the jaws. The jaws are swung to open position by a bow spring 50 which extends about the cam and shaft with its ends l engaging the upper portions of' the jaws below cutting edges 52 which are provided to engage the opposite sides 53 of the anvil 58 to move the jaws against the anvil and sever -the yarn which may be positioned be-' tween the anvil and the jaws. s

On either side of'th casing, supports 85 are provided in which there are mounted yarnholders 58 consisting'of bristles. extendingupwardly therefrom which serve to effectively frictionally retain the rubber yarn in the operation of the device. These.yarn holders maybe adjusted as. to 'position by screws 88 serving to placed through bristles 81', thence across the face of the anvil 12 between the opposite side of the anvil and the opposite cutter 5I and then through the bristles 81 of the other yarn holder. The bristles provide the proper degree of tension in the yarn which may be-under some little elongation. The yarn is now loaded into the device for operation thereof. The handle 51 is grasped i in the other hand, and turned enough to bind but not sever the yarn, andthe slide holder swung to. move the yarn across the face of the anvil into engagement with the film 80 on the film feeder, and, as this motion occurs, the handle 51 will be rotated to cause the cam 55 to move the jaws or nippers to cut the yarn between the cutting edges of the nippers and the anvil. Also,

film upward. Thus, when the face of the anvil engages the film 88, there will remain on the face of the anvil only portions of the yarn overlapping each other the width bf the anvil. Also,

when this engagement occurs, pawl 29 enters the hole I5 on the other margin of the lm feeder and locks it against further movement. Then, by lifting the handle and moving the slide` upwardly, the overlapping portions of the yarn at 13wi1l cause the-film to vbreak as at 8l, and will roll that portion of the film 82 aboutthe overlapped portions of the yarn and about veitherside thereof as at 84 (see Fig. 9) s o as to provide a spliced joint, while Athe overlapped portions are in Acompressed relationship. The upward movement will be'suicient to wrap this film one or two revolutions about the overlapped portion 13 and then by reciprocating slide downwardly and upwardly one or vtwo times a very firm union occurs and a splice results such asdesignated as at 14, as shown in Fig. 11.

The length of movement of slide is such that the distance the pair o f threads rollalong film feeder I5 is greater than the distance said lm feeder moves in the feeding operation. This in-v sures the-complete utilization of the amount of rubber film supplied to the threads in such film- Ifeeding operation.

being mounted for sliding movement to wrap the-v film about the enclv portions when moved into engagement therewith.

2.In a splicer, a carrier for a thin film of material, a iilm carried thereby, means for holding the thread and severing the same to provide portions in overlapping relation, said means being Assuming that I wish to -splice two end portions v V1li, 1I 'of rubber yarn, I will place the end portion 18 through bristles 81, thence along the face 12 of the anvil. between side 83 of the anvil and the cutting jaw 5| and thence through the other mounted forl movement to roll the overlappedends of thread'.

3. In a splicer, retaining means for the end film about the portions of thread in proximity to each other,4

film, amslide in said holder to move generally lengthwise of said film, means on said slide for receiving and severing the thread end portions to provide the portions in predetermined overlapping relation, said threads being movable into contact with said lm by swinging the holder, and

then by moving the slide, roll the film about the overlapped ends.

5. In a splicer, friction means for retaining the end portions of thread in proximity to each other, means for severing the end portions while retaining some portions in overlapping relation, a carrier for a thin lm of material, a iilm carried thereby, and means for moving said overlapped end portions of the thread into contactwith said lm. and rolling the end portions to wrap the iilm about said overlapped end portions.

6. In a spil-cer, bristles for retaining the end portions of thread in proximity to eachother, means for severing the end portions while retaining some portions in overlapping relation, a carrier for a thin film of material, a nlm carried thereby, and means for moving said overlapped end portions of the thread into contact with said film and rolling the end portion to wrap the lm about said overlapped end portions.

7. In a splicer, a body, a carrier apron provided with a film of adhesive material, a pair of friction-gripping thread retainers, one on either side of said body and apron, a rockably-mounted slide holder to swing toward and from said apron, a pawl carried by said holder to engage and feed said apron upon reciprocation of the holder toward and from the apron, a slide in said holder provided with an anvil, a pair 'of jaws mounted on said slide, and when open receptive to thread end portions extending in opposite directions yacross the front of the anvil and between the anvil and the jaws, a cam to move the Jaws to sever the threads between the anvil and jaws to leave the portion of the threads across the front of the anvil in overlapped relation, said portions being movable into engagement with the fllmand by movement of the and cause the film to wrap about the thread ends.

8. In a device for splicing rubber threads, a movable adhesive carrier, means for holding in overlapped relation and under predetermined tension a pair of rubber threads, said means being adapted to carry said overlapped threads into contact with said adhesive carrier for the purpose of applying adhesive to said overlapped threads and means to feed said adhesive carrier a predetermined distance between adhesive applications.

9. In .a device of the character described, means for holding a pair of overlapped thread ends, an adhesive carrier in the form of a flexible strip having a width greater than the length of the overlap of said threads, means for bringing said thread holding means into engagement with said carrier for the purpose of applying adhesive to said overlap and means for moving said adhesive carrier a predetermined distance between each adhesive applying operation.

10. In a device of the character described, an adhesive carrier consisting of a strip of at iiexible material, means for feeding said adhesive carrier in step-by-step movement at predetermined intervals, and means to move overlapped thread end portions into engagement with the adhesive carrier.

11. In a device of the character described, means'for applying a film of adhesive to a pair of overlapped thread ends, said means consist- "ing of a -flexible tape-like member adapted to carry coagulated film on its surface and to be 1 moved in linear direction through predetermined spacings at predetermined intervals, and means to move overlapped thread end portions' into engagement with the adhesive carrier.

JOHN F. CAVANAGH.

slide to roll the the thread 

